In a recent response to Kamilla Ludwig (10 Sep) I attempted to answer
Pim van Meurs's two questions concerning the related and imposing
numerics of Genesis 1:1 and the Creator's Name. He had asked: "What
rules out (1) coincidence, and (2) the original writers or translators
adding numerology?" My reply included the statement: "Genesis 1:1 has
been fairly described as the most remarkable sequence of words ever
written." This drew forth the rejoinder, "Purely assertion, Nothing to
show that it is not coincidence."

The uniqueness of the Bible's first verse is demonstrated at the URLs
below - but, for reasons best known to himself, Pim steadfastly refuses
to examine the evidence! It therefore occurs to me that the impasse
might be broken if I adopt a slightly different approach.

(1) Let us first observe that a simple geometric entity - the cube -
is associated scripturally with the concept of holiness (1Ki.6:20,
Rv.21:16).

(2) The strategically-placed and fundamental assertion "In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth." has been delivered to us in 7
words of Hebrew. These same words also read as the following fixed set
of numbers: {913, 203, 86, 401, 395, 407, 296}.

(3) He who speaks these words (Jesus Christ) is associated with the
number 2368 (a fair alternative reading of the NT Greek - nominative
case). This may be expressed entirely in cubic terms, as follows:

2368 = 64 x 37 = 4^3 x (4^3 - 3^3) = 16^3 - 12^3

(Note: the 'up-arrow' is here used to represent 'to the power of')

(4) Returning to the Genesis 1:1 number set, we observe the following:

And, by the way, 37 - dominant factor in all these proceedings - is also
an analogue, thus: 37 = 1^3 x (4^3 - 3^3)

Occurring as they do in related contexts, is it reasonable to lightly
dismiss these truths as 'coincidences'?!

(5) Genesis 1:1 has the value 2701 (sum of the 7 numbers represented by
the words). This is not only 73rd triangular number but, interestingly,
the only 4-digit denary number that, when added to its reverse, reveals
its prime factors (37 and 73), thus: 2701 + 1072 = 3773 = 11 x 7^3!

(6) Another simple operation involving these same 7 numbers reveals a
yet more subtle inter-relationship which is completely independent of
the foregoing. Consider the following table of differences:

Each entry in the table represents the unsigned difference between the
numbers heading the row and the column in which it occurs.

We now find that every tabular value in the second and subsequent rows
may be simply expressed in terms of just two parameters viz, 105 (=a,
say), and 99 (=b, say). Differences involving 913 are found to fall in
with the same scheme - but only after each is reduced by 500. Here,
first, is the foregoing table modified accordingly:

Clearly, the status of the Bible's first word is here revealed as being
different from the following six.

(6) Such details (and there are many more!) constitute powerful evidence
of intelligent design. Clearly, such an undertaking is not feasible if
we look only to natural or human agency.

Pim (and/or Susan B.), perhaps you can help us here. Who or what do you
suggest might be the cause of such numerical wonders occurring in a
meaningful sentence of Hebrew? And, incidentally, are you not now
beginning to see that Genesis 1:1 is undoubtedly the most remarkable
combination of words ever written?